Second half goals from Josh Carson and Michael Chopra weren’t enough to stop the Blues from falling to a 3-2 defeat to Doncaster at Portman Road. Dismal Town were very much second best before the break with El-Hadji Diouf (2) and Billy Sharp putting the South Yorkshiremen 3-0 in front at half-time.

Boss Paul Jewell made an unusual five changes to his side. The injured Ibrahima Sonko and Lee Bowyer (both hamstring) were replaced by Ívar Ingimarsson and Colin Healy, while Aaron Cresswell returned from his one-match ban to take over from Mark Kennedy at left-back.

Tamás Priskin returned to the Town line-up for the first time since March in place of Jason Scotland, who wasn’t even included amongst the subs.

Reece Wabara was given his first start for the Blues at right-back with Carlos Edwards dropping to the bench alongside Josh Carson and Lee Martin, who was back in the 16 for the first time since his red card at Peterborough.

Nathan Ellington (calf) and Daryl Murphy (hamstring) both missed out, while ex-Blue Richard Naylor started for Rovers at the centre of the defence.

Doncaster should have gone in front in the ninth minute when, after a freekick from the left had been semi-cleared, Brian Stock looped the ball to the far post where Rovers skipper George Friend had inexplicably been left unmarked eight yards out. Fortunately for the Blues, the former Exeter man’s first touch badly let him down and the danger was averted.

Friend had another opportunity a minute later when another freekick was swing in from the left but David Stockdale did superbly to block his stab at goal from close range, although referee Simon Hooper had already blown his whistle for a foul by Naylor on Ingimarsson.

Town’s first serious effort on goal came in the 12th minute, Keith Andrews hitting a low shot which deflected wide off a defender after a neat interchange with Healy.

Doncaster had had much the better of the opening spell and in the 18th minute they went in front. The Blues were again guilty of lax marking as summer Town target James Coppinger crossed to El-Hadji Diouf, who nodded back across Stockdale and into the net to record his first goal for his new club.

Six minutes later, it was two. Coppinger crossed from the right and Billy Sharp, another player the Blues chased in the summer, got in between Danny Collins and Ingimarsson to head home. As he celebrated, Sharp, whose new-born son Luey died last week, received a round of applause from the Town support, which he acknowledged as he made his way back to the Doncaster half.

It might have been even worse for Town soon after when Naylor headed a Diouf cross back across goal but somehow failed to find a Rovers team-mate.

With the Blues having made little headway, manager Jewell decided that an early change was necessary. Colin Healy was the unfortunate man to make way as Lee Martin made his long-awaited return.

Town had the ball in the net on 34, Wabara crossing and Chopra finishing at the far post, however having strayed offside. Gillett picked up the game’s first booking three minutes later for a late tackle on Bullard, who was again having a quiet afternoon.

Martin headed high and wide soon after, then Cresswell’s cross from the left was too deep with the Blues having a fair bit of the ball but without particularly threatening, aside from the disallowed goal.

However, on 39 Doncaster made it three. Sharp found Diouf midway inside the Blues half with both centre-halves having followed him. The Senegalese international brought the ball forward and, with the Town defenders backing off, hit a low shot which beat Stockdale down to his right.

Ingimarsson headed over from a Town corner before referee Hooper blew his whistle to loud boos from around the ground which continued as the players made their way off.

It had been a woeful performance from the Blues, every bit as bad as some of the thrashings earlier in the season, with Doncaster’s first two goals virtual gifts and the third the result of the sort of backing off which was also evident at Millwall last week.

The Blues’ midfield, with the game going on around both Bullard and Leadbitter, passed the ball with little if any tempo and there were slim pickings for Chopra and Priskin up front.

The platform for the recent run of good form was a midfield which kept the ball and, along with the advancing full-backs, created chances, but once again the opposition had found a way of stopping the flow.

Manager Jewell evidently saw that a change was needed in the midfield and withdrew Bullard, bringing on Josh Carson in a wide right role with Leadbitter and Andrews in the centre and Martin on the left.

The Northern Irishman was straight into the action cutting in and hitting an early shot just wide, then slamming another effort off a defender from a deep Leadbitter cross from the left.

Town were starting the second period strongly with Priskin failing to get a significant contact on a corner from the right.

On 53 the Blues pulled one back. Priskin diverted the ball wide towards Martin, who took it down the left before sending in a low cross which the Hungarian could get a hold of but which Carson behind him bundled into the net for his first goal of the season.

The goal raised the volume a notch or two but with the Blues pushing players forward looking for another goal, it was Doncaster who next came close to scoring when on-loan West Ham man Herita Ilunga crossed just too far in front of Sharp.

Town might have got their second from the resultant corner, the Blues breaking quickly with Chopra finding Martin to his left. The sub brought the ball inside a defender but saw his shot blocked by veteran keeper Neil Sullivan. No Town player was on hand to follow up.

Doncaster regained control for the period just before the hour but without particularly threatening to add their fourth. Stock and Leadbitter found their way into referee Hooper’s book within a couple of minutes of one another for fouls.

On 63 Naylor almost capped his return to Town with a goal, the one-time striker’s header being diverted away from the target by Andrews. Two minutes later Jay Emmanuel-Thomas replaced Priskin up front, the Hungarian having failed to make the most of his chance, although he will feel he was given little service by the Blues’ misfiring midfield.

Friend twice went close for the visitors, the second a header over from a Diouf cross with Town’s marking again highly questionable, then Carson just failed to get on the end of a Cresswell cross from the left. On 69 Sharp was replaced by Doncaster, to more applause from the home support and calls for the Blues to “sign him up” from the Sir Bobby Robson Stand, the ex-Sheffield United man having once again impressed against the club which tried to sign him over the summer.

Emmanuel-Thomas had his name added to Mr Hooper’s increasingly lengthy list on 73 after he and Gillett had challenged for a knee-high ball, the diminutive former Southampton player coming off worse.

The Blues continued to push for more goals, Cresswell just failing to find Chopra with a cross from the left, then on 78 Andrews saw a promising shot deflect over. From the resultant corner, a minor bout of handbags led to Chopra and Sullivan being spoken to by the referee.

Coppinger hit the sidenetting, then moments after Diouf had made way to boos and some applause, Andrews was booked for a foul.

Town kept looking for another goal, mainly by trying to hit Emmanuel-Thomas with long balls but without too much success until Chopra headed home a cross from the right by the former Arsenal man moments before the whistle, the youngster sending the ball in with the outside of his left boot.

But it was too little, too late with the game all but lost in the first half with Doncaster having only to sit back and defend their lead in the second period with Richard Naylor — who was given warm applause by his old fans at the whistle — and his colleagues doing their job comfortably for the most part until Chopra’s late strike. Rovers might even have added to their total after the break with Friend on several occasions, Sharp and Naylor all close.

Town manager Paul Jewell will have been left fuming by some of his own side’s defending but will probably be more concerned by his midfield’s failings for the fourth game in a row. His squad are likely to spend a busy international break looking for a way of ending this latest poor run of form.

Town: Stockdale, Wabara, Cresswell, Ingimarsson, Collins, Bullard (Carson 46), Andrews, Healy (Martin 28), Leadbitter, Chopra, Priskin (Emmanuel- Thomas 65). Unused: Lee-Barrett, Edwards.

Doncaster: Sullivan, Chimbonda, Friend, Naylor, Martis, Gillett, Stock, Ilunga, Diouf (O’Connor 82), Coppinger, Sharp (Hayter 69). Unused: Maxted, Barnes, Bennett. Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire). Att: 17,184 (Doncaster: 260).

Photo: Action Images

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